Employment Screening Gets Boost Are We Safe? [more...]

Are we safe? [more...]

Protecting Yourself and Your Organization [more...]

Your E-mail Isn't Safe Either [more...]

Employee Hotlines Catch On [more...]

Great Question! [more...]

The Identity Theft Assistance Center [more...]

Know Your Score [more...]

Employees Who Harass Employers After They Are Terminated [more...]

The 9/11 Commission report released on July 22, 2004, revealed few surprises. However, Commission Chairman Thomas Kean (former Republican governor of New Jersey) warned that sweeping reforms are still needed to prevent another catastrophic attack. His 567-page report is the work of an investigative panel formally known as the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. The panel reviewed 2.5 million pages of documents and interviewed more than 1,200 witnesses. The report revealed vulnerabilities still exist, including:

• Fraud in identification documents makes entry into the U.S. and employment easy for terrorists;
• Screening of travelers, employees, and others remains weak;
• Screening and access to public transportation is inadequate;
• Communication between civilian agencies, private employers, local first-responders, and governmental agencies has significant gaps; and
• Private businesses have not adequately prepared themselves for attack or recovery.

While President Bush publicly announced that the report generated by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States was "very constructive," and White House officials offered it marginal praise, the document was critical of the current administration and that of former president, Clinton. Most significantly, the report cited the government's failure to:

• link the odd behavior of suspect Zacarias Moussaoui at a Minnesota flight school to his planned attack;
• detect the hijackers' fake passports;
• match terrorist watch lists with other available databases and;
• take adequate aviation security measures.

• Establish a new counterterrorism center to unify intelligence and planning efforts now shared by more than 24 separate agencies.
• Appoint a Cabinet-level national intelligence director to head the counterterrorism center.
• Create a terrorism information and intelligence sharing system.
• Set up committees in each house of Congress to oversee homeland security.
• Strengthen the FBI and improve its intelligence capabilities.
• Combine the threat assessment and defense capabilities of the Department of Defense and Homeland Security.

After reading the report, Republican Congressman Christopher Cox solemnly said, "The 9/11 Commission has provided the ultimate, authoritative verdict that our intelligence gathering and sharing system was not responsive to the threats America faces from abroad, and the real and growing risks of terrorism in our own backyard."

Since 9/11, security professionals and corporate leaders of all stripes have sought methods to protect their organizations and people in the event of another attack. More recently, however, progressive thinkers have begun to consider the possibility that in the first hours of an attack, individuals may have to act on their own. Several thought-leaders are now attempting to offer more useful information than what was previously limited to keeping duct tape on hand and staying indoors. Their efforts have focused on the greater likelihood that unconventional weapons such as "dirty bombs" and biological or chemical munitions might be used. Getting in on the act are the Department of Homeland Security and the American Red Cross. According to one security professional, "Now we are thinking, what can people do in the critical first hours after attack, before the government is able to respond?" While suggestions abound, the problem for most people is the inability to determine what type of attack is actually underway. Making matters worse, the likelihood that weapons will be combined to make a "super" weapon is very good. Here are some of the precautionary steps the experts recommend:

• Take an emergency-preparedness course.
• Prepare an emergency kit for yourself and family. Keep one in your vehicle and one at home.
• Learn in advance how to protect against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons. Best advice: seek clean air and avoid confined spaces. Seek medical attention immediately even if you feel and appear well.
• Identify gaps in public preparedness and lobby for change.

Most cyber-users know e-mail messages are neither secure nor private. But privacy advocates have recently issued a new warning that e-mail may be less confidential than people thought. A recent First Circuit Court of Appeals decision suggests that e-mail's mode of transmission-hopping from computer to computer-does not fit the definitions of "electronic communications" in federal wiretap laws, say the advocates. If so, the privacy protections once thought to exist when using e-mail may not exist at all. In response, security and legal experts have issued their own warning:

• Do not send messages, which, if compromised, would embarrass you or your organization.
• Read your e-mail service provider's privacy statement. Ensure it promises that your messages will not be read by the provider or shared with others without your permission.
• Consider using encryption software. While writing this article, a Google search for the term "encryption software" yielded approximately 524,000 results.
• Do not use instant messaging (IM) for confidential communications.
• Before giving away that old computer, remove the hard drive and destroy it.

The idea of providing employees a safe and anonymous means to report mistreatment and unsafe work conditions has been around for decades. However, the recently enacted Sarbanes-Oxley Act (specifically Section 301) requires publicly traded companies to implement protocols for the "receipt, retention, and treatment" of anonymous complaints from employees and shareholders. Although the Act does not require companies to outsource this capability, using a third party insulates the business from allegations of altering or discarding troubling reports. The opportunity to provide businesses fast and inexpensive solutions has given birth to a new cottage industry. Steve Foster, COO for MySafeWorkplace, one such service, says, "Top-tier providers offer users the option to make reports via the telephone or the Internet." He says, "Our ASP solution instantly distributes inbound reports to the proper designated recipient inside the client organization. The ASP model allows the recipient to securely manage each report from cradle to grave." Foster also claims his system serves as an incident management tool as well. "The software tracks who looked at the report, when they looked at it, and what action, if any, they took regarding it," says Foster, who was once in law enforcement. "Even for organizations not subject to Sarbanes-Oxley, hotlines serve as an early warning system that connect the right people to the information they need to make smart decisions, and keep their organization out of court," says Foster.

Not all employee hotlines are created equal. The best services:

1. Offer 24/7 service with live call-takers
2. Allow users to make reports via the telephone and the Internet
3. Automatically distribute reports to the appropriate party with no human interaction
4. Afford administrators incident and report management capabilities for easy follow up and investigation
5. Do not require the installation of new software or hardware
6. Use state-of-the-art technology to provide security and protect anonymity

Most recruiters, applicant screeners, and HR professionals pride themselves in their ability to ask applicants insightful, probing questions. Many think that asking open-ended questions like "tell me about yourself?" or "why are you interested in working for us?" provide a peek into the inner workings of the mind. Not so, say the experts. Experts reveal that most applicants are prepared to answer these canned questions. Studies also show that most applicants who know creative and seemingly bright answers tend to be regarded favorably by interviewers. That is why some progressive employers like Microsoft have allegedly begun to ask more challenging questions like, "Why are manhole covers round, not square?" However, the best questions seek answers that help determine if the applicant shares the same values as the organization and can be productive in its culture. Before telling the interviewee too much about the organization and the position, consider asking these questions:

1. How long will it take to become a contributor if hired?
2. If hired, how long do you plan to stay?
3. How do you define success?
4. By that definition, how successful have you been?
5. Professionally, where would you like to be in five years?
6. How will working for this organization help you achieve that goal?
7. Do you prefer to work alone or with others?
8. What most annoyed you about your last supervisor?
9. What did you like most about your former employer?
10. What might cause us not to hire you?

In a move that should bring some sense of relief to victims of identity theft, one hundred of the largest banks and other financial institutions in the United States are participating in a program called the Identity Theft Assistance Center. As of June, these companies, all members of the Financial Services Roundtable, will assist identity theft victims with the help of ITAC. Roundtable members handle 70 percent of all financial transactions in the United States. Victims need only to report a problem to an ITAC member. The member's institution then alerts other members with whom the victim is a customer. The ITAC will also assist the victim and send affidavits to law enforcement, credit bureaus, and other parties. The ITAC also provides identity theft resolution, education, and prevention training to the public. Wells Fargo & Co. contributed $1.5 million to get the center off the ground.

For more information about identity theft and identity theft prevention go to: Identity Theft 911.

Contributed by: Collin Baer

While many employers have used credit scores to help screen applicants and determine their eligibility for employment, they are the principal tool lenders and other financial institutions use to determine credit worthiness. Few know however, that auto insurers, landlords, and even some healthcare providers also use them. Despite this increasing use, only about a quarter of Americans know their credit score, according to recent study by the Consumer Federation of America. That's not surprising, because until recently, credit scores were a closely guarded secret kept by credit bureaus. That all changed in 2001, when Fair Isaac, the research firm that owns the mathematical formula used to calculate FICO scores, began allowing consumers to see their score. For as little as $12 consumers can now buy their credit score at Fair Isaac's popular Web site, MyFICO.com. While many consumers may be opposed to paying for their personal financial information, knowing one's score is correct can be priceless. Consumers with scores of 720-850 get preferential treatment, while the less fortunate with scores of 500-599 pay interests rates as much as twice that paid by those with highest scores. Employers too, look differently at applicants with low scores. "If a low score suggests the applicant has had difficulty managing their money, how can I expect them to handle our money better than their own?" said one executive. On the other hand, an incorrect score could cause an employer to disqualify an otherwise qualified candidate. While credit bureaus hesitate to say how many of their records are possibly inaccurate, consumer groups say the number is huge.

Tip: If you suspect your FICO or credit report is inaccurate, report the discrepancy to one or more of the credit bureaus. By law, only employers, not lenders, are required to help change an error.

Terminating an employee for harassment may only be the beginning, not the end. Historically, cashiered employees were marched out with an escort and usually disappeared from sight. No more. Increasingly, employers of all sizes are reporting that angry employees who have been terminated for harassment or other serious misconduct are resurfacing. Their principal weapons? The Internet and the telephone. With only rudimentary skills, ex-employees with access to a computer and the Internet can wreak havoc. Even government employers can become victims. In one case in Colorado, an angry citizen used the Internet and a home-crafted Web site to recruit disgruntled county workers and turn them against their employer. The harasser even set up a tip-line so his disgruntled followers could air their complaints and quickly and anonymously email them to their targets. In another state, an angry harasser flooded his former employer's e-mail system six times with more than 30,000 e-mails each time following his termination. The California Supreme Court later held that the former employee had not trespassed in using his ex-employer's email system for harassment. So what should employers do if they fall victim of such tactics? Here's what our experts recommend:

• Treat all people with respect and dignity, even those you intend to terminate. There is no need to excoriate or humiliate an employee you intend to fire. Allow them to leave with their dignity intact and give them no reason to retaliate.
• Keep communications open. Angry people want to be recognized and their grievances validated. Provide them the opportunity to be heard. Listen carefully and make reasonable concessions if possible.
• Negotiate early. The longer tensions are allowed to build, the greater the resources necessary to de-escalate and stabilize the harasser.
• Use restraining and protective orders carefully. Studies show that no-contact and cease-and-desist orders work best when obtained early in the conflict. In some instances, a court order precipitated a physical attack.